A Legend Untold
by TheShadowChild7
Summary: The Blacks had always been unusual, but now they were taking it too far. Magical Britain has ridiculed and disrespected them for years. Now they will regret it. Draco, Harry and Neville, under the watchful eye of the Black sisters and Sirius, will turn Magical Britain on its head. Confident!Neville, Good!Draco, Grey!Bellatrix, Powerful!Harry. ON HIATUS!


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Everything you recognise belongs to J. K. Rowling.

A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! Enjoy the chapter and please review. If you like this story, please check out my other one, The Gathering of the Lords. Here's chapter one!

Chapter One: The Trial

(A Friend from the Past)

Sirius, after escaping from the darkest, coldest, cruellest place on earth, would have thought he would travel somewhere sunny and bright, birds singing and trees swaying, but as Sirius soared on Buckbeak the Hippogriff, the only place that seemed to provide some comfort for him were the tall, snowy mountains. What reason did he have to be happy, or at least content, with his life? He had no one, no one but his godson. Life was cruel that way – Sirius, an innocent man, had spent twelve long, agonising years of his life in prison and finally escaped, just to be on the run from an untrustworthy Ministry of Magic, alone, a shell of what he once was. He landed on the frozen peaks and sat heavily on the cliff, staring at the beautiful huts and cottages below. Snow had piled on their slanted roofs. Ski equipment was hung on the outside walls. Sirius didn't know where exactly he was, but it was all the same to him. Everything was lost. James and Lily were dead. Remus had abandoned him, not once in those twelve years had he sent a letter, had he visited his friend. Marlene McKinnon, his long-time girlfriend and later fiancée, was gone. Peter had betrayed them to the same man his family had forced him to worship since he could remember. Sirius had had over a decade to grieve for his friends and family in his rotting cell in Azkaban, but the Dementors had never truly let him mourn. No, they had replayed the memories, twisting them to make it seem like Sirius was at fault. Only his bitter, monotonous chants of 'I am innocent,' had kept him sane. Sirius's thoughts drifted, not to Harry or Remus, but to the woman who had stayed in the cell across his. Oh, he knew her very well and despite their differences, she was dear to him. Bellatrix Lestrange's tortured screams echoed in Sirius's mind as he wondered what she had done to get herself landed there. She had refused to tell him. With a heavy sigh, he turned to see what Buckbeak was doing. The Hippogriff was trotting about the lands, occasionally sniffing at something, eating small animals. Sirius smiled grimly.

"I guess we'll be staying here for a while, eh, Buckbeak?"

* * *

Meanwhile, thirteen-year-old Harry Potter was sitting on his bed, his elbows propped up on his lap and his chin in his palms. At that moment, he truly detested the Minister. The injustice of the situation made him see red. An innocent man had been shipped off to prison without a trial while a murderer roamed free. Now Sirius was forced to hide from Britain, both magical and Muggle. Harry lay in bed, trying to form a plan. He would get Sirius a trial, no matter the cost. Perhaps he could use his status as the Boy-Who-Lived. But how would he do it? He had no connections in the Ministry of Magic. Maybe he could talk to Mr Weasley. The tall, redheaded man was bound to know someone in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Harry silently wondered how many more people had been wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they had not committed. The thought of people like Pettigrew – Voldemort's men – getting away with their wrongdoings made him feel sick. He swore he would defeat Voldemort once and for all. But, once again, the question was how he would manage to do so. _You can start by studying a bit of magic,_ said an annoying voice in the back of his mind. With that thought in mind, Harry opened his trunk, which no longer stayed in the cupboard under the stairs, and pulled out every book he owned. He threw old parchments of Divination into the rubbish bin. He started revising everything he knew in Transfiguration, Defence against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions and Herbology. He decided, for further information, to send an owl to Hermione.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I have developed a sudden interest in studying. Do you think you could send me the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy textbooks?_

_Love,_

_Harry_

He had no idea how long he had been studying first through third year material, but it was 11.45 pm when he stopped. It was fascinating how interesting magic was when he wasn't distracted or under pressure. Finally, Hedwig came back with a parcel. Harry read the letter first.

_Harry,_

_Maybe you should ask Malfoy for it. You two seem to be very close._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione_

Harry sighed. After the first Quidditch match of the year, Harry had received a letter from a strange barn owl.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_I realise our families have never been allies, but please take this letter into consideration. You probably know very well that my husband, Lucius Malfoy, is a Death Eater – one of Voldemort's followers. However, as our marriage was forced, I never shared his opinions and beliefs. Lucius is training my son to be a Death Eater, something I strongly disagree with. I teach him everything I can at home, but his friends, Messrs Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle and Ms Pansy Parkinson, have a great influence on him at school. This is why I have addressed this letter to you. I was hoping you were willing to give my son a chance. I have spoken to him, he reluctantly admitted that he was willing to change his behaviour. No matter what young Mr Weasley says, not all Slytherins are the same._

_Sincerely,_

_Lady Narcissa Malfoy_

Harry had spoken to Draco, who had been surprisingly pleasant. Harry had tried to include him in group conversations with the other Gryffindors, much to Ron and Hermione's disgust. Harry had expected it from Ron, but he had hoped that Hermione would be more accepting. The only Gryffindors who had stood by him were Neville Longbottom and, surprisingly, Seamus Finnigan, who despite being easy-going and friendly, could be very sceptical at times. Fred, George and Ginny Weasley, despite sharing their father's dislike of the Malfoy family, had also been very accepting toward the young Slytherin, claiming that 'he wasn't much like his slimeball of a father.'

Too tired to continue studying, Harry staggered to his bed and fell into a restless sleep. His dreams were far from pleasant.

He was standing in a filthy, dark street, lit only by the few streetlamps that weren't broken. Behind him were tens of uniform houses, all placed in a neat row, none of them in good condition. Their windows were shattered, their curtains were torn, their paint was peeling off and their walls were cracked. The funny thing was, Harry wasn't the only person there. A tall woman with long, curly black hair, dark, wild, heavy-lidded eyes, hollow cheeks and too pale skin stood before him. She looked completely and utterly mad. The thin woman stared at him for a couple of seconds. Then Harry's vision went black as he heard a scream of 'Innocent!'

Harry woke up with a start. The woman looked very familiar, but he couldn't quite recognise her. He shook his head and looked at the clock on his nightstand. It read 5.20. Sighing, Harry stood up, knowing he wouldn't be getting any more sleep.

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange was sitting in her dark, damp cell in Azkaban, no longer screaming. He was gone. He was gone, but no matter how much she missed him, she wouldn't admit it. He had been her only connection to the past. He had been a reminder of what used to be. A painful reminder of her sisters, of little Reggie, of everything she used to love. Of course, she knew he was innocent. Not for a second did she believe that he could have murdered the Potters. He was too pure, too innocent to do it. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement must have thrown him in without a trial. It was the only explanation. She curled up in the corner, thinking, plotting, waiting for the right moment. She needed to think this through. After all, who would have known that two Blacks were innocent of the crimes they had been accused of? Who would have guessed that the darkest family in Britain were victims of dark magic, just like everyone else? _Sirius did it, why can't I?_She asked herself. She would escape. And when she did, there would be justice.

Days turned into weeks as Harry waited impatiently for the holidays to end. He wrote to Sirius as often as he could, but responses were not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, Harry enjoyed talking to Sirius. The man was patient and kind and trustworthy – everything the Dursleys weren't. He kept revising and studying, he vowed he wouldn't give Snape a reason to hate him. He had finished first and second year material by 20 July. On the first of August, Harry received a letter from the Weasleys.

_Dear Harry,_

_We hope you're doing alright with them Muggles. The Quidditch World Cup will be held on 22 August. Dad managed to get extra tickets because he works in the Ministry, so we give one to you, oh, glorious Chosen One. Anyway, Ron's thrown a fit about Merlin only knows what, said you were a traitor and whatnot. Mum apparently agreed with him after he told her the story (we doubt it was what really happened), so they got into this big argument with dad. He still wanted you to come with us to the Cup. Here's the ticket, our dear scrawny midget!_

_Love,_

_The almighty twin pranksters_

_Gred and Forge_

_P.S. We know you feel guilty about the fight. Don't. For the love of Merlin, Harry, it isn't your fault._

_P.S.S. Ginny can't wait to see you._

Harry grimaced. He hated the idea of his favourite family fighting because of him. He was touched that Mr Weasley still cared for him. Sighing, he put the letter down. It looked like his and Ron's friendship was over. It hurt him, but he knew he couldn't change it. Ron was too prejudiced and biased. Nevertheless, he was grateful that the twins had thought of him and he couldn't help but laugh at the last sentence. Ginny was great and he really liked her, but sometimes she could be as bad as Colin. Harry made to turn to his books, but he was too tired to study. He fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sirius decided to travel back to Grimmauld Place. He could see no sense it taking a holiday when his entire life was pointless.

"C'mere, Buckbeak," he called.

Buckbeak obediently trotted to him. They rode for hours across plains and forests, rivers and seas. The wind was cold, but Sirius was used to it. Finally, they landed in the Borough of Islington. Sirius dejectedly made his way to Grimmauld Place. It suddenly occurred to him that his mother could have blocked him out of the house after disowning him. _It's worth a try,_ he thought as he touched the snakelike handle on the door. Surprisingly, it swung open, revealing the horrendous house the Black brothers had grown up in. Sirius stepped through, bracing himself against whatever beast inhabited the disgraceful home. The layer of dust covering the floor muffled the sound of his footsteps. He tripped, however, on a troll's leg that had been placed in the doorway. Suddenly, a woman he remembered very well started screaming.

"YOOOOUUUU, HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK? HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE, SHAME OF MY FLESH? FILTH! SCUM! LOWLY BLOOD TRAITOR!"

"Shut up!" thundered Sirius. "Shut up, you old hag!"

He conjured curtains to hang in front of her and placed a silencing charm on them.

"Kreacher," he called.

The old House-Elf appeared before him and bowed reluctantly. "I see filthy master is back. Master broke Mistress's heart, he did. Yes, he did."

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher. Now I am your master and you will answer only to me. You will obey my every order. I want you to clean this house properly and thoroughly. You will do nothing to damage me or the house. You will get rid of every dark object in the house. And by get rid of, I mean you will throw it away. You will not hide it somewhere where you think I won't find it."

Kreacher looked murderous. "Yes, Master," he grumbled and muttered something under his breath.

"What was that, Kreacher?"

"Nothing, Master."

Sirius decided to take a bath and have a nice, warm meal that didn't taste like cement. Then he started making a plan. He wanted a trial and he would get one.

TIME SKIP

"Good evening, sir." Sirius was standing at the Dursleys' front door on the first of August.

"Who are you?" boomed Dursley.

"My name is Sirius Black," he said coldly.

Vernon paled visibly. "I'm calling the police," he threatened.

Sirius pulled his wand out and pointed it at Vernon's chest.

"You're one of the freaks," whispered Vernon.

Sirius ignored the comment in favour of stepping inside the house. "Where's Harry?"

"BOY!" yelled Vernon.

Harry descended the stairs, looking gaunt and thin. "Yes, Uncle Vernon?"

Then he spotted Sirius. "What are you doing here?" he hissed. "The Muggles are still looking for you!"

Sirius, completely unfazed, pulled his godson into a hug. "Come, we're leaving."

"What?"

"You said that you would like a different home, away from the Dursleys."

"AFTER EVERYTHING WE DID FOR YOU, BOY, YOU COMPLAIN TO YOUR MURDERING GODFATHER? OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU FREAK! OUT, YOU UNGRATEFUL WASTE OF SPACE!"

"Where are your things, Harry?" asked Sirius softly.

"In my room," muttered the boy.

"Accio Harry Potter's magical possessions," said Sirius.

His trunk, broom and owl went flying down. Sirius shrank them, took Harry's arm and apparated to Grimmauld Place.

"Sirius?" asked Harry. "Won't you be in danger now?"

"My trial is in ten days. I blackmailed Lucius Malfoy, who has connections in the Ministry, to give me one."

"What about Pettigrew?"

Sirius sighed. "We'll catch him, Harry, don't you worry."

Harry smiled. Then he looked around the room, trying to take in his surroundings.

"Where are we, Sirius?" he asked quietly.

"We're in my childhood home. It's far from pleasant, but it's our only option. Why don't you go unpack? You can use the room upstairs – second door on the right."

Harry unpacked his things in a room whose door read: _Do not enter without express permission from Regulus Black II._He quickly descended the stairs. Sirius was sitting at the table in the kitchen, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Sirius," said Harry somewhat shyly, not wanting to disturb Sirius.

Sirius looked up from his paper and smiled. "Yes?"

"Um, thank you," Harry fumbled for words. "For taking me from the Dursleys, I mean."

Sirius waved him off. "Say, Harry, how was your summer?"

"Alright, I guess. I revised everything from first to third year."

Sirius made a face. "For Merlin's sake, Harry, holidays are to take a break from studying."

"I want to defeat Voldemort as fast as possible," said the boy softly.

Sirius stared at him. "I have nothing against you becoming a powerful wizard. In fact, I will support you till the end and teach you everything I know. However, you will _not_ kill Voldemort. You are only a child, you will have no part in the war."

"Really? Can you teach me? I mean, I sent an owl to Hermione and asked her for the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy textbooks, but she –," Harry stopped abruptly, realising what he had said.

"What's wrong?" asked Sirius quickly. "Did you have a fight?"

Harry wordlessly handed him the letter Lady Malfoy had given him. Sirius read it once. Twice. What was Narcissa doing?

"Harry, what happened after that?"

"Well, Draco and I kind of became closer and Ron and Hermione got really mad. We-We got into a fight. Draco said he didn't want to be a Death Eater," he said

Sirius nodded reassuringly, motioning for him to continue.

"T-Then Ron c-called me a f-f-future D-De-Death Eater," said Harry.

Sirius pulled him into a hug and tried to soothe him. "It's alright, Harry, calm down."

Harry pulled away, forcing himself to continue. "The Gryffindors didn't mind Draco once he changed his attitude, especially Neville and Seamus. Hermione started talking to me again for a while, but in the end, she agreed with Ron. Fred, George and Ginny Weasley and Lee Jordan didn't mind either. Ginny even hexed Ron for being rude."

Sirius handed his godson a cup of tea laced with a mild Calming Draught.

"Sleep now, Harry. We'll talk in the morning."

And sleep he did. Harry, for the first time in years, felt completely safe.

Days passed uneventfully at Grimmauld Place, until the day of Sirius's trial. Harry had been pacing nervously since dawn. Sirius, on the other hand, appeared completely calm and collected.

"Alright, Harry, I should go now. I'll see you in an hour or so," said Sirius.

Harry nodded distractedly. Sirius hugged his godson and flooed away.

He entered the courtroom, which was occupied by the entire Wizengamot. His trial would be held at Courtroom Ten, much to Sirius's disgust.

"Take your seat," ordered a cold voice the moment he entered the courtroom.

Sirius was dressed in fancy robes that displayed the Black family crest. He strode confidently to the chair. The chains immediately sprang to life, binding him.

"Minister, I strongly suggest you unchain me," he said coolly.

"Silence, Black," snapped the voice.

"_Lord_Black," corrected Sirius.

"Trial on the tenth of August into offences committed under the Decree of Offences against the International Order of Magic by Sirius Orion Black, former resident at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Borough of Islington, London. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement –,"

"Witness for the defence: Andromeda Lyra Tonks," said a familiar voice. Sirius, trying to keep his emotionless mask on, turned to look at his favourite cousin standing behind him, her face blank."

"Ah, Mrs T-Tonks," said Fudge. "A-Are you witness for the d-defence?"

"Obviously, I am. Would your Court Scribe kindly get me a chair?" she said coldly.

"Morgan," barked Fudge. "Be quick about it!"

Andromeda quietly thanked the Court Scribe – Jacob Morgan, and sat down. Like all Blacks, she gave off an aura of confidence and authority.

"Now," said Fudge. "The charges."

"He was the Secret Keeper of the James Charlus Potter, Lily Rose Potter née Evans and Harry James Potter and betrayed them to You-Know-Who, and is therefore indirectly responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter he murdered thirteen Muggles and the wizard Peter Marcus Pettigrew. That constitutes an offence under Paragraph A of the Decree of Offenses against the International Order of Magic, 1854."

"I believe, Minister," said Andromeda, "That this will be done a lot faster with the usage of Veritaserum."

"Morgan," barked Fudge again. "Veritaserum!"

Morgan rushed to get a vial of truth serum and administered it to Sirius.

"Name?" said Fudge.

"Sirius Orion Black," was the monotonous reply.

"Are you the eldest son of Orion Polaris Black and Walburga Irma Black?"

"Yes."

"Were you the Potters' Secret Keeper?"

"No. It was Peter Pettigrew."

Gasps echoed in the courtroom.

"Did you betray the Potters to You-Know-Who?"

"No. I'd die before betraying them."

"Do you have the Dark Mark?"

"No," he said, raising his sleeve.

"Are you a Death Eater?" asked Madam Bones.

"No!" despite the effects of the potion, Sirius's voice had a definite tone of disgust and anger. Andromeda smiled slightly at that.

"Did you murder thirteen Muggles and Peter Pettigrew on 31 October 1981?" said Madam Bones.

"No. Peter Pettigrew did it. After I confronted him, he yelled that I betrayed James and Lily, cut his own finger off, blew up the entire street and disappeared."

"How did he disappear?" asked Fudge.

"He is an unregistered Animagus. He takes the form of a rat."

"I think that concludes the trial, Minister," said Madam Bones. "Those in favour of clearing Lord Sirius Orion Black of all charges?"

The majority of the Wizengamot raised their hands.

"Cleared of all charges," declared Madam Bones.

The chains on the chair released him. Sirius stood up and put on his 'superior pureblood' mask. He stalked through the courtroom until he caught up with Andromeda.

"How did you know?" he whispered.

She gave him a wicked grin. "Magic," was her only answer.

She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're free."

He smiled. "Thanks, Andy," he said gratefully.

"I didn't do anything. I thought, you being Sirius Black and everything, that there would be this great, complicated, weeklong trial."

"I thought so too," he muttered.

After a long pause, Sirius spoke again.

"I've ordered the little nuisance, Kreacher, to clean the house, so it should be in fairly good condition now. If you ever want to stop by for a visit..."

"We will, Sirius. Dora and Ted would be thrilled to see you."

Sirius smiled at the mention of his Muggleborn friend and the little pink-haired girl.

"How could you, Sirius?" she said after a pause.

Sirius spun around. "What do you mean? I didn't do it!"

"Not that," she said, clenching her jaw. "How could you leave? There were more important things that vengeance."

"I know, Andromeda. I can't change the past, but I can make up for it in the future."

Andromeda nodded. "Look, Siri, I still have work to do at St Mungo's. I'll see you as soon as I can."

With that, Andromeda apparated away, leaving Sirius alone once more...

Sirius apparated back to Grimmauld Place. Surprisingly, the house was spotless. Kreacher, despite his despicable behaviour, had done a rather good job.

"Harry?" called Sirius.

His godson was still pacing in the kitchen, looking worried and exhausted.

"Sirius!" he exclaimed, running toward him.

Sirius laughed.

They talked for a couple of hours, until Sirius stood up. "How about a little practice duel?" he suggested.

Harry's eyes lit up.

"Come, we have a room for it. My parents were rather fond of duelling."

"We had a duelling club in second year, but the ponce Lockhart was teaching it, so classes were cancelled."

"Lockhart? Gilderoy Lockhart?"

Harry looked up at him curiously. "Do you know him?"

Sirius nodded. "He was a Ravenclaw three years below us. I don't know how he ever got in that house, the disgusting, narcissistic prat."

Harry nodded in agreement. Disgusting would be an understatement. He remembered when Lockhart had tried to touch him during that detention. Harry had used _Petrificus Totalus_on him and fled. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he entered the duelling room.

"Now," instructed Sirius. "Duelling isn't something you can learn easily. My family, for example, have been duelling masters for generations. The Browns, on the other hand, can't even hold their wands the right way. They've always preferred branches such as Herbology and Potions."

"Really? Can you tell me more about it later?"

"Yes, I was planning on it. You come from a very old family, Harry, and it would be a shame not to tell you about it."

They duelled for hours without stopping. Sirius used Level 2 spells – light and not very dangerous. Harry wasn't a bad duellist, but he definitely needed more practice.

All in all, Harry and Sirius had settled into a routine quickly, both enjoying each other's company. They were completely oblivious to the fact that somewhere in Azkaban, Bellatrix Lestrange was still planning tirelessly...


End file.
